Single whooper and scaup were reported both Tuesday and Wednesday on ebird (family didn’t stay long)

No whoopers today amongst several mute swans 10-11am, but 3 dunlin, pairs of male pintail and wigeon and lots of teal.

2 adult Whooper Swans and a juvenile near Cheddar Tower on Wednesday at midday

Male Red-crested Pochard east of Cheddar tower at 1400 today

Whooper was still sleeping on island, but woke up to feed just before sunset. 6 ringed mutes remain amongst 35 birds (6 juveniles)

Just one great Egret after none at all last two days (AJP did turn up on Tuesday with 5 others, but only been 1 or 2 unringed birds rest of week)

30-Oct-2026
Went back this morning (10.15/11:30) and the adult Whooper Swan was with Mute Swans on the edge of the exposed large island as viewed from the Cheddar Tower. The only wader I saw was a lone Snipe along the large island edge. Met Mike Moxon who had seen a lone Scaup among the many distant Coots.

28-Oct-2016
A 1.5 hr hard ‘scoping late morning to 11:30 from the Cheddar Tower and the Axbridge entrance failed to see y’day’s Grey Phalarope, or the recent Whooper Swan & Scaup. I missed the 1stW Little Gull, but it was reported on BirdGuides as near the Axbridge Tower at mid-day. Only saw 3 Grt W Egrets, c.25 Mute Swans, 2 Tufted Ducks, a few Pochard, Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon & Teal among lots of Gadwall & hordes of Coot. A flyby Red Kite was nice to see.

A Whooper swan and some scaup have arrived. Very few great egrets remaining after the storms

Pumping continues today. But still not much wader activity:  1 ruff, 3 dunlin, 3 ringed plovers, a few snipe. Also 2 adult GBB gulls and about a dozen pintail.

Today another ringed mute swan showed its legs - orange ABAA - I got this reply:
“The swan was ringed as a juvenile on 15/08/2021 at the Bishop’s Palace in Wells. It was one of the offspring of the Palace’s resident pair that year. I’ve not had a single reporting of it since that time so I’m very glad to hear it is doing well!”

“Yellow HLO was ringed at abbotsbury Swannery 31st July 2025 as an adult/near adult female.”

Peregrine hassling the teal, and 15 great egrets after the fish yesterday morning. Ruff seem to have departed but curlew sands still present.

A mute swan from the abbotsbury moulting flock showed it’s yellow HLO ring (same bird was there last autumn - whilst white ring means they were born there)

18-Sep-2026
Cheddar Res - part drained (3.00 pm 18-Sep). Distant waders on the exposed island between Cheddar Tower & Yacht Club: Ruff 4, Ringed Plover 5, Common Sandpiper 2, Dunlin 4 and Curlew Sandpiper 2 juvs.

2 Curlew Sandpipers currently with the ruff, dunlin and ringed plovers (there have been brief glossy ibises and common terns reported last couple of days and 3 spotted redshank stayed longer, but now gone). Garganey and RC Pochard present but not always easy to find. Ringed great egret AJP usually around.

Amongst the 21 mute swans, I’ve seen legs of 14, including the following:
White AJX hatched Abbotsbury 2024. Ringed 14th October 2024. Female. Metal ring AS02091. Last sighted Abbotsbury 5th May 2025.
White ALU hatched Abbotsbury 2025. Ringed 29th September 2025. Male. Metal ring AS02105. Last sighted Abbotsbury 4th July 2026. No previous reports away from Abbotsbury.
white AOL, which is a 2025 Abbotsbury hatched male cygnet ringed on the 16th October 2025. Its metal ring is AS02140. It was last sighted at Abbotsbury on the 17th April 2026. The is the first report we’ve had of it since.

This morning Little Stint, 2 Ruff, Redshank, Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plovers all on the island spit.

Island just appearing. Male and female ruff, 2 redshank, adult and juv common terns. Also little stint south of Cheddar Tower with 5 ringed plovers. 3 snipe. Blackwit on spit before everything was flushed by dog. Egyptian goose flew off as I arrived. GBB Gull still.